Serial startup CEO takes over at 'white-space' pioneer

LONDON – Neul Ltd. (Cambridge, England), a startup company pioneering the use of television white-space spectrum for machine-to-machine communications, has announced the appointment of Stan Boland as CEO.

Boland was previously CEO and co-founder of Icera, a U.K. company that developed 4G/3G/2G software-defined modem ICs and which was acquired by Nvidia Corp. in 2011 for $367 million. Prior to this, Boland was CEO and co-founder of Element 14, a Cambridge company that developed ADSL chipsets and software which was acquired by Broadcom Corp. in 2000 for $640 million.

Neul, founded in 2010 by some of the original founders of Cambridge Silicon Radio, has been pioneering technology for the TV white space market using UHF spectrum being made available across the globe by regulators. Neul has developed an air-interface, pioneered the Weightless standard that encapsulates that air-interface as well as building silicon and equipment to implement it. Neul's aim is to provide cost-effective wide-area connectivity for multiple industries often for autonomous networks, sometimes referred to as the Internet of Things.

Boland told EE Times that the release of UHF spectrum by regulators around the world was going to be an important enabling development in communications and that he was pleased to be joining Neul because its founders had spotted the opportunity first. He added that it was his intention to help the company prioritize and focus down on its money-making opportunities.

Stan Boland, incoming CEO at Neul Ltd.

"I am thrilled to be joining Neul, probably the most exciting company globally in the wireless space. Its technology is strongly complementary to cellular technologies through the provision of coverage and capacity needed for the large numbers of devices intrinsic to industrial applications for the internet," said Boland in a statement.

James Collier, co-founder and CTO, commented: "Stan's track record in building international operations is exactly what we now need since we have succeeded in developing and generating a real demand for our new products and our services."